Late, soft goal allows Saprissa to down Sounders

Saprissa was happy with its late game-winning goal on Tuesday night at Qwest Field. (Ted S. Warrne/AP)

Kasey Keller tried to reverse kick the goal post. Then he threw his water bottle three times, smashing it off the Cacique billboard ad behind his goal. He was furious.

That reaction came after he allowed a soft goal that gave Saprissa a 2-1 win over the Sounders in the final action of Group C play in the CONCACAF Champions League on Tuesday night at Qwest Field.

“It’s always disappointing when you give up a late goal,” Sounders coach Sigi Schmid said. “For us, I don’t think it was a particularly good game.”

An innocuous shot from Saprissa midfielder David Guzman turned into a knuckling nightmare for Keller. It hit the well-positioned veteran keeper in both hands, then bounced off the inside of the left post and in for the 87th-minute goal.

Keller was not available for comment afterward, though did say through a team spokesman he should have made the save.

“He’s saved us too many times, I’m not going to get on his case here,” Schmid said. “Nobody is more disappointed than he is. He’ll sort it out.”

Alvaro Fernandez did the work but Nate Jaqua knocked home the result to start the scoring. A crisp shot well within the box from Fernandez caromed off desperate Saprissa defenders prior to landing in front of Jaqua who was in his usual position, a few feet from the goal. He banged the ball in with his left foot for a 1-0 Sounders lead in the 17th minute.

It didn’t last. A communication lapse between Keller, he was in net for Terry Boss who had two injuries, and Zach Scott resulted in what should have been a simple clear or corral becoming a goal. Keller did not snatch the ball as he came out and Scott did not shield the offensive player. Each was in between.

The ball bounced off Scott and rolled right to Saprissa forward Jairo Arrieta who easily tied the match at one in the 26th minute.

Schmid said he felt it was too big a risk to play Boss on Tuesday night. He also held Fredy Montero out of the 18 because of a quad contusion.

That’s it for the Sounders’ journey through CONCACAF Champions League play this season. They finished 1-5. Seattle wraps the MLS regular season on Saturday in Houston then starts the playoffs Oct. 31 at 5 p.m. at Qwest Field.

“We have to shrug it off, we have bigger fish this weekend,” Jaqua said.

The win advanced Saprissa to the knockout stage of the CONCACAF tournament.